


Cheesy Adventure Movie Title Here

by elysiumwaits



Series: Tumblr Prompts/Fics [17]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventurer Billy Hargrove, Alternate Universe - 1920s, Banter, Carrying, First Kiss, Inspired by Indiana Jones, Inspired by The Mummy (1999), M/M, Protective Billy Hargrove, Smart Steve Harrington, The Upside Down, demodogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22013611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elysiumwaits/pseuds/elysiumwaits
Summary: Steve Harrington is on a crazy mission to save the world. He's quickly becoming Billy's favorite person.Written for the tumblr prompts "books" and "weight of the world."
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: Tumblr Prompts/Fics [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1414096
Comments: 25
Kudos: 178





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have a very normal brain that makes the perfectly logical leap between a prompt like "books" and this action/adventure thing that's a very blatant rip-off of The Mummy, Indiana Jones, and Tomb Raider.

The ad that Billy Hargrove answered wasn't exactly all-encompassing when it came to duties necessary to the job. 

"Your ad said nothing about angry Russians with guns, _Professor_!" he hisses from where he's hunkered down behind a shipping crate inside of a temple that appeared out of thin air. "This is crazy. You understand that, right? 

"I'm not a professor." Harrington is attempting to peek out over the top of the shipping container. "It said 'security.' I think this qualifies."

There's the sound of boots, heavy on the stone floor. Billy gets a hand in the back of Harrington's shirt and yanks him back down behind the crate, clamping his free hand over Harrington's mouth before he can complain about ending up in Billy's lap. Normally, he'd enjoy this, but the situation isn't exactly ideal. For his part, Harrington gets a hand around Billy's ponytail and pulls, wanting to make his displeasure at this turn of events known, despite the footsteps, and Billy grits his teeth.

They both still as the boots come close, stopping on the other side of the shipping container.

Then, the boots start their trek back to wherever they were previously. When Billy judges them to be far enough away, he takes his hands off Harrington, helps him off his lap and back onto the floor. 

Before Harrington can say anything, big brown eyes already narrowing like Billy's done something particularly offensive, Billy pulls out one of his revolvers and starts loading it, shaking his head. "What's in here that you need so bad, Harrington? Some kinda magic thing?"

"What?" Harrington looks offended that Billy even asked that. "No, of course not. Magic isn't real."

Billy stops loading his revolver to give Harrington an incredulous look. "Of course," he says sarcastically. "Temple appears out of thin air in the middle of some island in the Pacific, but magic isn't real."

"It's _not_ ," Harrington hisses. Billy would be lying if he said he didn't find it attractive, the way that Harrington's eyes lit up with determination. This boy's gonna be the death of him. "I told you, it's another dimension, the Upside-Down. It was _always_ here, we just couldn't _see_ it."

"Semantics," Billy replies, working on getting his second revolver. "What's here? What are we looking for?" Harrington hesitates long enough that Billy looks up at him again. "I gotta know if I'm gonna help you find it, Professor."

" _Stop calling me that_ ," he snaps, and then blows out a harsh breath, looking up at Billy like he's daring him to say anything. "It's a book."

New plan. Harrington isn't going to be the death of Billy, Billy's going to be the death of Harrington. "A _book_?!" Oh, he knows he says that too loudly. They both pause and wait, but there are no footsteps. When Billy speaks again, he makes an effort to be quieter. He has to admit, it's pretty hard. "We came all the way here to find a _book_?"

"Not just any book," Harrington whispers quickly. "This is the book that will save the world, Mr. Hargrove."

Billy isn't getting paid enough to do this. He thought he was. He's just decided he's not. "Of course it is. Okay. If you're going to get into the inner rooms of the temple, you're going to need a distraction," he says. "Stay close to the wall and behind as many crates as you can, alright? And then, while they're _distracted_ , make a run for the next hallway."

"A distraction?" Harrington grabs at Billy's sleeve when Billy moves to get out from behind the crate. "What are you doing?"

He looks worried. Billy's a little touched. "I'm going to go talk to those nice Russian gentlemen," Billy says, sliding one of his revolvers back into its holster. "Kiss for luck."

"Kiss for-" Harrington doesn't get very far into his sentence before Billy's got a hand around the back of his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. It's supposed to be quick, but Harrington _melts,_ and the kiss turns from quick and dirty to something longer. More meaningful. 

Not what Billy bargained for at all. 

He pulls away, keeps his hand on the back of Harrington's neck. "Stay down, and then run for it. I'll catch up."

"You..." Harrington looks a little dazed. "You speak Russian?"

Billy grins and winks as he pulls his second revolver out of its holster. "Oh yeah, watch." This time, Steve isn't fast enough to stop him as he goes around the crate and stands. "Hey, assholes!"

He sure hopes that luck holds.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the book that will save the world, and Billy gets a good long look at another terrifying dimension.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt "weight of the world" on Tumblr.

Surprisingly enough, getting the book is the easy part. Billy really does catch up to Harrington in the center chamber of the temple, a few bullets lighter and breathing a just a little heavier from the way he just sprinted down a hallway while projectiles that might have been arrows, maybe darts, came flying at him from the _walls_.

"You can't speak Russian," is what Harrington says, accusing. He doesn't look up from where he's got what Billy can only assume is _the_ book, the one that will supposedly save the world.

"I swear to god, Professor, you are the hardest person to please. I may not speak Russian specifically, but 'asshole' is a universal word." Billy doesn't put his revolvers away, even though he's sure no one followed him down the hallway. "How did you get through the hallway?"

"They were triggered by pressure plates," Harrington replies. He's still not looking up from the book. "You just don't step where the stone is raised, Mr. Hargrove. I'm guessing you went down the hall at a dead run?" He finally raises his head, and it's to give Billy a withering look. 

Billy's starting to get the feeling that Harrington might be annoyed about something. "You're awfully pissy, considering I just survived being shot at so you could get this book." He jabs a finger down at the pages, and glances down when they don't feel like paper. Smoother, maybe. Metallic? The characters on the page aren't any language he recognizes, even though he's upside-down. "Can you read this? That's not Egyptian heiroglyphics... not Phoenician either."

"You know..." Harrington's brow furrowed. 

Billy's a little offended, now. "I'm not completely stupid, Professor," he snaps. "I _can_ read."

"Stop _calling_ me that!" Harrington snaps back. "If you're going to kiss me before you throw yourself in front of a bullet, the least you can do is call me by my _name._ "

"You _just_ called me 'Mr. Hargrove,'" Billy points out. 

"And _you're_ the one who kissed _me_!" Harrington's voice echoes around the stone room, startling the both of them. There are chambers off to the sides, dark doorways that presumably lead to hallways that presumably lead to terrible things.

There's a rattling sound coming from one of those dark hallways. They're very far away from rattlesnake country, though, and it would have to be a pretty big snake. A lot of snakes, now that Billy's listening a little more intently. Or maybe it's not that Billy's listening.

Maybe whatever it is is getting closer.

"We should go," Billy says urgently, grabbing Harrington's arm. 

Billy does not have _words_ to describe the four-legged monstrosities that burst out of the other hallways, faces opening into terrifying toothy mouths. Harrington does, though, hissing out, "Demodogs, run!" 

He doesn't have to tell Billy twice. He grabs Harrington around the waist and throws him over his shoulder, turning and heading for the hallway he just came out of at a dead run. He'll take arrows or darts or even bullets over the monsters that are behind them.

"The pressure plates!" Harrington shouts, just as Billy steps wrong and projectiles start flying out of the walls. It's a calculated move - as soon as he breaks out of the hallway, the pack of creatures that's behind them is lessened, slowed or even stopped by the temple's defense systems. 

"Designed to keep people out!" Billy shouts over what is first angry Russian, and then terrified Russian as the creatures follow. "Probably also designed to keep those in!"

The run out of the temple is a little easier, now that the demodogs or whatever Harrington called them have a target other than the two of them to focus on, if the screaming behind them is any indication. Billy doesn't slow, though, until they're well into the jungle, temple out of sight and quiet in the night around them. 

"You can put me down," Harrington says from over Billy's shoulder.

Yeah, Billy supposes he can. He carefully gets Harrington back on his feet, and then leans against a tree that's far larger than it has any right to be to catch his breath. "So," he says, panting. "That what we're saving the world from?"

"That's part of it," Harrington says. He's shoving the book into his bag. 

"Oh, good. That means there's more." Billy closes his eyes for a second. He's athletic, in great shape, but damn. "But you can read that book, and you can fix it?"

"Well." Harrington clears his throat, and Billy opens his eyes to find him looking sheepish. "I actually can't read the book."

Never before has Billy gone between murderous and insanely attracted at such a rapid pace. "You can't read the book."

"But I know who can!" Harrington says quickly. "Ele - I mean, Jane can do it."

"Jane is twelve," Billy says, slowly. "You're telling me that a twelve-year-old is going to be able to read a book from another dimension?" He closes his eyes again, drops his head back against the tree trunk. "Steve, if I didn't want to kiss you as much as I do, I think I'd strangle you."

Silence follows his words, and Billy wonders if he's pushed things too far. Then, he feels a hand on his chest, and soft lips press carefully to his. He smiles against them and lifts a hand to tangle in Steve's hair, deepening it.

When they finally break the part, Billy's breathing heavy for a completely different reason. It'll have to wait, though. "Alright, Steve," he says, takes in the way that Steve's cheeks are red and his lips are a little kiss-swollen. "Let's go save the world."


End file.
